Gas ships diverted to top up Britain

TWO giant gas tanker ships have been diverted to Britain to top up the
country’s gas reserves which have been depleted by the long winter.

The Zarga and the Mekaines each carry enough gas to supply Britain’s gas needs
for up to 12 hours.

The ships, coming from Qatar, are understood to be carrying gas for the spot
market, meaning they deliver wherever the price is highest. This is
currently the UK, where a hard winter has seen gas reserves depleted to
about 10% of capacity — enough to supply the country for just 1½ days.

The Mekaines, with 266,000 cubic metres of liquefied natural gas, should dock
at the Isle of Grain today while the Zarga, carrying a similar amount, will
reach Milford Haven tomorrow.

Britain gets most of its gas from the North Sea and Norway, or from Europe via
pipelines. Stored gas is used as a backup, so